Ash Tree House

People's experience of the service and what we found: We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. 'Right support, right care, right culture' is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

Right Support Staff supported people to have the maximum possible choice, control and independence and they supported people to make decisions following best practice in decision-making. Staff communicated with people in ways that met their needs. Staff focused on people's strengths and promoted what they could do. Staff supported people with their medicines in a way that promoted their independence and achieved positive health outcomes. People had a choice about their living environment and were able to personalise their rooms. The service did not always provide people with care and support in a safe, clean, well equipped, well-furnished and well-maintained environment. However, an extensive refurbishment plan was in place with work due to commence in January 2024. The registered manager took action to address immediate issues.

Right Care Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. Staff had training on how to recognise and report abuse and they knew how to apply it. The service had enough appropriately skilled staff to meet people's needs and keep them safe. People could communicate with staff and understand information given to them because staff supported them consistently and understood their individual communication needs. Risks to people were assessed. Where appropriate, staff encouraged and enabled people to take positive risks.

Right Culture There was a positive and open culture at the service where the registered manager led by example. Staff knew and understood people well and were responsive, supporting them to live a quality life of their choosing. The service enabled people and those important to them to work with staff to develop the service. Staff valued and acted upon people's views.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection The last rating for this service was Good (report published 10 September 2018).